Shail McGuire
by Jadeling Hawkins
Summary: Just a story about a the ever elusive species: The female pirate.
1. Prologue

The wind was cold.  
That was the only memory the girl had from the day long ago, nearly a week after her unrecorded birth. It was a dim one, but somehow she clung to it. Always in her dreams. Nothing but the bitter cold. Her father, after having killed her mother, deposited the baby in an empty barrel and calmly walked away, laughing at a joke his men told him. The laughter and the cold, constantly haunting her dreams. Sometimes she could even envision the man's face as he took one more half-interested glance into the barrel, little more than a silhouette.  
After that, the baby had remained in the barrel for a while, until another man had glanced in, possessed by a drunken curiosity, at the sound of a child's wailing. This man, like her father, was a pirate. This was not uncommon, as the small island of Tortuga was rather filled with them. However, it was uncommon to find babies stowed away in barrels, peeking up at you with bright blue eyes still streaming with tears. The man had glanced around for a while, scratching his head, started to walk off again, and was stopped by the wailing of the child. Glancing back into the barrel, the pirate cleared his throat and continued to walk, stopped once more by the miserable cries. He scowled and stalked back to the barrel, pulling out his pistol. It may have seemed a cruel act, but Tortuga was no world for children, as if being abandoned in a barrel did not at least offer such a hint. But as he held the pistol out in front of him, he paused at the odd expression on the child's face. He dropped the pistol to his side and stared into the barrel hard, as if struggling with some decision his foggy mind didn't like. Grumbling to himself, he reached into the barrel, hauled the baby out, and stalked off once more, the gurgling child tucked under one arm. This part was never in her dreams. But the man who had taken her back to the inn his crew was staying in was in her life; her adoptive father and friend, Matthew. He didn't bother lying and claiming to be her true father, that would have been pointless. Pirates didn't generally carry their little ones around with them, and his skin was much to dark in comparison to hers. But he did teach her everything a pirate needed to know-how to drink, how to fight, how to steal. But mostly, how to fight. It was something strange about the girl, something that had been strange and great enough to convince even the pirate crew of the Nova to keep a female on their ship. Even as a child, she displayed a unique understanding for the art of the fist. By the time she was eight seasons, she could out- box any man on the ship if she was allowed to train with them. She was as strong as or stronger than most of the men on board by the time she turned thirteen, though no man would admit this and she didn't realize it. She could pick up most any weapon and use it as skillfully as any maestro of the tool. To her, it was all a game. So the crew taught the lass, enjoying both the unique personality and the thrill of watching something so bright grow so quickly. And grow she did. To most of the crew, she remained the blue eyed little girl found in a barrel by their mate, her hair white and her smile crooked. The girl could charm her way out of a bag, and often got into trouble just to do so. She was short and had a fiery attitude, the latter a gift from her adoptive family. But to the first mate aboard the Nova, Smitty, Shail McGuire was nothing but trouble. 


	2. Cold Relations

(okay, this one might seem a bit tedious, but it's just to get across the relationship of some of the crew members)  
  
The wind was blowing rapidly, the Jolly Roger flapping loudly above her as shimmied up along the mast. Her favorite dagger clutched between her teeth, Shail caught a hold of a loose rope and allowed the wildly whipping thing to haul her the rest of the way up to the crow's next.  
  
Crouching on the small railing of the rounded platform, she prodded the scout with the butt-end of the dagger. "Oi, what's up ahead, mate?"  
  
The scout jumped slightly, turning to glare at the girl. Snorting, he shook his head and replaced his glass to his eyes. "Not much, lass. Nary an isle nor a bloody ship. Dunno what we be doin out 'ere to begin wit."  
  
Shail flashed him the characteristically crooked grin. "Oh, quit yer belly achin', Sota. We just got one more run t'do, 'cordin to th'mate."  
  
"Ye believe what tha' man sez to ye? Then yer as much a git as 'e is."  
  
"Careful, Sota. Ye might insult a person talking like tha'."  
  
This said, she hopped off the railing, still holding onto the rope, and flipped down back to the deck. She landed neatly next to the first mate, Smitty.  
  
Jumping in surprise, Smitty bared his teeth at the grinning pirate once he'd recovered. "Why don't ye quit messin 'round and get some real work down, whelp!"  
  
As he stalked off, Shail snorted and rolled her eyes. "I'll quit messin 'round when YOU get a personality more interesting that yer breath, Smitty."  
  
If he heard her, he didn't get a chance to react, because she returned to the air in an instant, disappearing up another pole and going about her usual chores aboard the Nova, seeing to it that everything was ship shape, watching for anything amiss. And there was always something amiss.  
  
She had just finished tying off a rope that had unwound itself, holding onto a separate one to keep herself from falling, when she heard the loud and rough sounds of cheering, shouting, and what was most likely several bets being made. Releasing one handful of ropes, she allowed herself to freefall, the natural course of the ropes tossed her in the general direction of the fight.  
  
She did a light flip to slow herself, landing squarely between the two fighters and shoving them apart without bothering to know who they were.  
  
"Oi, quit actin like a bunch o dibbuns, ye fools! Now wha's all this about?" She snapped when they struggled to get past her.  
  
As odd as it seemed, the two men seemed almost ashamed of themselves under the stern stare of the sixteen year old girl. Hanging his head, one man muttered, "This bloggart thought 'e could whip me, so I taught 'im a lesson!"  
  
"Tha's not true!" Hollered the second man. Shail arched one brow as she realized who this was. He wasn't that much older than she was, perhaps eighteen, but his name was Alex. He had blond hair and blue eyes, and he had been the girl's training partner most of her life.  
  
"Allrigh', then. Tell me wot 'appened." She crossed her arms, an annoyed expression on her face. "An' it better be good, or I'll report ye both t'the cap'n."  
  
Though she thoroughly enjoyed a good fight, one of the few rules that she enforced declared that no fighting was allowed during a run. If there was a disagreement amongst the crew, it was to be taken care of well away from the Nova. Every man present knew this, and every man also knew that punishment for disobeying this rule was rather unpleasant.  
  
"Right.well..it's kind of o' long story."  
  
"I suggest ye spit it out, mate."  
  
"I agree." The icy tone came from behind the lot, from the mouth of none other than Smitty. The crew turned to see him regarding them all coolly, arms crossed and his hat jerked down as if to pronounce his anger. "I do believe that fightin's against the rules ye all live under."  
  
Alex paled slightly and he quickly shook his head. "No, Smitty. We wasn' fightin!" He looked around him quickly for some support on the idea, and received several murmurs of agreement.  
  
"Wasn' ye? Then why would th'liddle precious one be holdin ye both apart like so?" His voice was still cool, and now he turned a nasty gaze upon Shail. As much as he hated the lass, and as little reason as he had to, he knew she was one who followed the rules.  
  
Shail was silent for a moment, suddenly aware that all eyes were upon her. She met Smitty's gaze evenly, her jaw set. After a bit, she released the two pirates and shrugged. "Cause they're both so bloody handsome I couldn' choose which one I liked best, tha's why."  
  
This simple statement was met with a roar of laughter from the crew, who immediately after took off back to their work. Smitty's lips were white as he pursed them, his cheeks bloody red with rage. Shail winked at him and returned to her own chores, as cheerful as though nothing had happened. As much as SHE respected the rules, she enjoyed disobeying Smitty so much that it was well worth the broken law.  
  
"Thanks, mate." Alex grinned as he took position next to her, going about his own business. "I owe ye one."  
  
"I know ye do."  
  
He chuckled and shook his head. "Gory, if that old ogre'd-"  
  
"Hold up, mate. I know bloody well what he woulda done, and I also know bloody well what I saved ye from..." She smirked at him, earning a somewhat nervous expression.  
  
"Ye ain't gonna rat me out to th'cap'n, now..I know ye ain't.."  
  
"No, but I bloody well could. So if ye want to stay 'board th'ship, I suggest ye get t'work."  
  
"W-what?"  
  
"Hup to it, mate. I've got a load o'chores o'er th'next few months, ye know." Grinning, Shail rested back against the railing and watched as Alex groaned and set about taking care of both of their work.  
  
Several months later, Shail had herself propped up between two barrels, a straw stuck between her teeth as she watched Alex doing her chores, a nasty smirk on her face. "Come on, then, mate. No slackin."  
  
He turned as if to give her a sharp retort, but at the glint of her blue eyes, he quickly resumed working, grumbling, "Aye, miss."  
  
"Thar ye go, mate. Keep smilin!" She grinned and spit the straw into the ocean, hopping to her feet and walking along the railing, checking around to find something more interesting. Even tormenting your friends could get boring after a while. Eventually she made her way over to where Matthew was working. He was a large man, with brown skin and broad shoulders, a few feet taller than most men. Bald and Brawny, she would often call him.  
  
"Oi, wha be ye doin?" He questioned, stretching slightly and arching one thick brow as she went into a crouch on the railing. The wind tugged at her clothing, but she didn't seem concerned.  
  
"Oh, not much. Nothin to do, anyhow."  
  
"Why ain't ye doin yer chores, lass?"  
  
She flashed him a nasty grin. "Cause they be well takin care of, sah."  
  
He glanced over to where Alex, still grumbling, was mopping up the deck. "Ah. I see."  
  
She smirked and hopped off the railing, landing neatly next to him. "So, mate, do ye know where we'll find ourselves next? Somewhere exciting, peraps?"  
  
"Tortuga, lass."  
  
"Oh." She looked somewhat disappointed.  
  
"Oh? Wha's th'matter with Tortuga? Thought every pirate liked it there.." He grinned and leaned against the railing, wiping persperation from his brow.  
  
"Yeh, I likes it allrigh, but I was hopin we'd get a good hit sometime. We been doin a lotta nothin lately, if y'ask me."  
  
"Best t'keep that opinion t'yeself, lass."  
  
She snorted and shook her head. "And why would I-"  
  
"Cause ye never know when it might be overheard.." The sneering voice could only belong to one person.  
  
Shail turned a delighted expression on the first mate, who had been standing right behind her. "Why, Smitty, sah! I didn' know ye was standin thar!"  
  
"Obviously."  
  
"Tell me, mistah Smitty, sah...was it yer idea ter return t'Tortuga?"  
  
"Aye, as a matter o fact, twas." He smirked. "And I take it ye don' like it, girly?"  
  
"Naw, tis a fine plan. But if twas yores, what did th'cap'n think o'it?"  
  
Smitty blinked in surprise. "What?"  
  
"Y'know, the cap'n? The one in charge o'the ship?" She smiled innocently. "Ye musta forgotten t'ask im, eh?"  
  
"O course I didn', ye little gutter snipe!" The Mate hollered, but there was something in his eyes.  
  
"Oh, good. Then I s'pose I'll jus go ask im what co'ordinates e wants, make sure e don' want to make no stops long th'way." She beamed at him, then practically skipped off towards the captain's quarters.  
  
"Hold it, ye little whelp!" Smitty snarled, grabbing her arm and whipping her around. He had completely forgotten the fact that she'd been questioning a higher authoritie's plans. "Now...ye git back t'work!" He shoved her back to where Alex was doing her chores, not quite catching the nasty grin she was wearing. "And ye wipe tha' dumb grin off yer face!" He snapped at Matthew before stalking off to the captain's quarters. He had to remind the captain where they were headed.  
  
And so it continued aboard the Nova, the first mate Smitty constantly trying to play the crew against themselves, Shail enforcing the rules she thought were neccessary and breaking the ones neccessary to torment Smitty, and Captain Torn oblivious to it all. 


	3. Replacement

Several years passed, and several things changed. The crew gained a few new members, lost a few old ones, and continued working hard and getting rich. And Smitty continued trying to make decisions behind the captain's back. More importantly, he continued trying to earn the crew's loyalty to his cause.whatever that was.  
  
Shail, meanwhile, continued playing on the first mate's nerves. She was eighteen now, and the little game had become more of a rebellion with the odd civil war going on in the ship. The captain himself was rarely seen on board, but she could remember him from when she'd been a just a whelp. He was a good man, as pirates went, and tended to make the right decision. When she'd first been brought to the ship by Matthew, his decision may not have been right, but it had certainly been convenient for her, even if she couldn't remember it being made.  
  
So she sided with the captain. At least, until Smitty decided to cheat.  
  
She would never forget the day, cold and bitter, just like the weather in all her dreams. She had been taking her turn in the crow's nest, looking out for the next spot of land to appear. She happened to glance down at the smart click of boots as they crossed the deck, watching Smitty as he stalked cheerfully over to the captain, who was in the midst of a discussion with Alex. She frowned slightly as he reached into her pocket, but by the time she realized what was happening, he had drawn a pistol and shot the captain through the back.  
  
Alex's eyes grew wide with shock and he could do little more than stand there, covered in blood that had burst from the captain's chest as he was shot, and watch in horror as the limp corpse flopped off the railing and into the sea with a splash.  
  
Blowing smoke from his pistol, Smitty drew another one and grinned. "Well then, chaps. Looks like we need a new cap'n, eh?"  
  
"Ye.ye killed 'im!" Alex finally seemed to regain the ability to speak, but he could still do little more than stare at Smitty in horror.  
  
"I s'pose ye don't much want me t'be cap'n, then." Smitty clucked his tongue and shook his head, pointing the pistol at the frozen young man's forehead.  
  
BLAM!!  
  
Smitty dropped to the deck, his face frozen in shock and with a rather conspicuous hole through his chest.  
  
Shail's eyes narrowed as she lowered the pistol that had taken Smitty's life. "As 'e said.methinks we need a new cap'n."  
  
She jumped down from the Crow's nest, using the ever-faithful ropes to keep from breaking her legs at the drop. The crew was silent as they all regarded the bleeding corpse and the bloody spot on the railing where the deceased captain had fallen. Shail deposited the pistol that had ended his life on Smitty's body, and suddenly Alex awoke from his daze. Still covered in blood and other unpleasant substances, his eyes narrowed as he looked around the crew. "Well then, any suggestions?"  
  
"I suggest we get rid o' the girl!" Snapped back an anonymous voice.  
  
This was followed by silence, but after a moment, Shail turned and regarded the rest of the crew with a cool expression. "Feel free t'toss me off, if ye can."  
  
She drew her sword, her strange blue eyes narrowed as she awaited a challenge. Finally, after a tense moment, one man stepped forward. He was fairly large, but he was new to the ship, and he didn't know much about Shail's history. Or how she had earned the right to be aboard the Nova through the years.  
  
There was a tense moment of silence, Matthew and Alex's brows crinkled in silent concern, the rest of the crew looking on with scattered emotion. Finally, the man lunged forward with a loud yell, drawing his sword and swinging downward. Shail smirked and slipped out of the blade's path of motion, ducking and springing up once more, ramming the butt end of her own sword into the softest part of the man's stomach. By the time the man had thought to let out a painful choke, she smacked the hilt of her blade downward once more, this time at the nape of his neck. He crumpled to the deck in a motionless heap.  
  
The entire fight lasted five seconds. 


End file.
